Even in English, “pervert” can be read differently – it’s also a verb, meaning “to turn something aside from proper or normal use” or “lead astray from right behaviour or beliefs, etc” (from my OED). In that respect, it’s quite close to the kanji, it’s just that we’ve come to place more emphasis on the sexual connotations here in the west.

Incidentally, even when people do use “hentai” to refer to porn, there’s no requirement for it to be animated. Just sayin’

Actually, she HAS learned her lesson; exploiting her gender makes short-term advancement easier. What she HASN’T learnt is that there are long-term complications to it. And when she does learn that, it’ll be too late to do anything about it.

And again we are reminded on just how big a slut she is. Not bad enough she cheats on her guy just to get ahead but not she’s trying to do it again. I mean for gods sake woman if you’re going to be the company slut be one in a company that pays allot more than a dame grocery store.

Remember what Nate said about the economy? As future planning goes it’s probably one of the more viable strategies and as someone who works in a similar line of work, convenience store not grocery, Tracey, if she were real would probably be a regional manager by now.

I think the gag is on the reader and on the hapless lad. The scratching of the itch line is banter between two people who have chemistry. This last strip is so exaggerated that she is either à pantomime villain/slut or she is taking the piss. That the chorus is now chanting, “slut,slut,slut!” means it’s risen to the bait.

Why settle for a one-on-one with the district manager, Tracy? Head straight for the top and go in for the kill:

Tracy & Beth: *slurp* *squelch* *squeal* etc.

Charles Connor Baron III, President and CEO of Food Baron: Oh! Oh my! Ah! Yes! All right! I am appointing you as Food Baron’s Head of Discipline. Salary… ooooh!

Tracy: Never mind that. I get Nathan Ashborne as my personal sex slave.

Charles: Yyyesss!

Tracy: And Miranda Reyes as my personal whipping girl.

Beth: *slurp* And 80% discount on alcohol purchases!

Charles: Sssure!

Tracy: And assistant managers’ duties will be expanded to include counseling and backrubs, establishment and supervision of a company creche, phone sex services for our senior customers, and… what is that bleeping noise?! Shit…

(Tracy wakes to the sound of her alarm. She sleepily pounds the pillow in frustration.)

I presume the gain she got from him makes her vulnerable in such a situation as she might wish to belittle him in. Fecking emotions and their desperate drag on one’s rise to middle managerial mogolhood. What kind of world do we live in that a smart, sexy, young woman, with glasses that only enhance her features, can’t sleep with someone that’s learned one or two of her hooha’s delightfully erogenous secrets without gaining something!?

He should buy her some jewelry just to make amends. Better yet, he should get her a meeting, and prime the regional manager with tips towards cracking the mystery of her orient…could imagine someone doing that under several circumstances, including a boy who believes he will call her bluff this way, and make her to crack somehow somehow.

I could imagine someone doing such because he’s a boy who wants to make a maybe lover squirm her way away from him…but I’m reading too much of my own baggage into this. Were I to have my way, all female individuals within the comic would be confined to their own girl-maintenance pods within my subterranean …erm…

No, hey, she’s crazy, isn’t she, Nate…heh…heh…AHEM *goes back to what he was doing*

P.S. I’ve gotta say at this point, the main character’s bluntness, brutal honesty, & awesome sarcasm remind me of a friend who works a similar job at a certain VERY well-known food services establishment (whose name shall remain anonymous). I’m not sure the others in this comic are like his coworkers (wouldn’t surprise me though), but Nate DEFINITELY reminds me of him.

One would think that tracy would aim a little higher in her goals, like banging the owner of the entire story chain or at least a son of he’s or her’s (guessing they have one) but meh, sometimes u go for the easy raise.